Five activists advocating for the boycott of the Jewish state were prevented from boarding a flight departing Washington, DC for Israel on Monday due to new regulations contained in an anti-BDS bill passed earlier this year.
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, three of the five were members of Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist group that is a big supporter of the BDS movement. According to the Anti-Defamation League, JVP has shown a "willingness to partner with anti-Israel organizations that deny Israel’s right to exist and legitimize terror” and refuses to endorse a two-state solution.
All of those prevented from boarding the flight were taking part in an interfaith trip run in conjunction with the Interfaith Network for Justice in Palestine.
"Israel denied me the ability to travel there because of my work for justice for Palestinians, even though I’m Jewish and a rabbi,” Rabbi Alissa Wise said in a statement from JVP. “I’m heartbroken and outraged. This is yet another demonstration that democracy and tolerance in Israel only extends to those who fall in line with its increasingly repressive policies against Palestinians.”
In March, the Knesset passed a law prohibiting foreign nationals who advocate for boycotts of Israel or the disputed territories from entering Israel.
